Child sex abuse: Warning signs no parent should ever ignore

Predators groom their victims so they don’t open up about abuse, but there are still ways of knowing when something is wrong

CENTRAL ISLIP — The recent case of sexual abuse of so many children who went to Dr. Larry Nassar of the USA Gymnastic has brought a dark topic to light. Children are groomed by predators so that they don’t reveal abuse, but there are clues that parents should be aware of so they can recognize the signs.

“The best advice we can give is: Get to know your children because what may be typical for one child may not be the same scenario for another child," Andrea Ramos-Topper from the Suffolk Child Advocacy Center said.

Specifically, Ramos-Topper says that parents should be cautious of adults who try to spend a lot of time with their child, since, in most cases, child sex abuse is done by someone who is close with the child. She says some of the signs that a child has been victimized are changed in appetite, sleep time, inability to concentrate, and being scared or depressed.

"Some of these individuals had disclosed about abuse and maybe it was not believed. So when children talk about this, it is real, it is happening. And as adults, it is our responsibility to protect the children," she said.